


Wanna Bet?

by Tamaha



Category: Star Trek
Genre: F/M, Gen, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2019-10-05 13:32:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17325932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamaha/pseuds/Tamaha
Summary: “You could never beat Spock”, was all Uhura said to this topic. But it made Jim’s blue eyes sparkle maliciously.“Wanna bet?”





	1. Chapter 1

„So, Uhura…“, Jim started the conversation. Leaning casually to the locker next to her’s.

“No, Kirk!”, she responded fast, cutting him off before he could even begin. Everyone else would have sighted frustrated by now, but Uhura had more composure. Especially with keeping her first name a secret. Some were convinced that even the teachers didn’t know her first name.

Jim pouted defeated. Looking after her while she strolled down the hall, stopping next to Spock to discuss some homework they had.

A few lockers further down Bones snickered upon Jim’s fail. “well, that leaves you and me”, Jim said to his best friend. He held up two tickets for some concert in the evening.

“It’s Wednesday. You know I can’t on Wednesdays.” Bones said. On Wednesdays was the McCoy game night. Board games and card games and what not. His parents insisted on one evening as a family each week.

Something Jim seems to forget again and again. “Whatever”, Jim muttered and started pouting.

“And seriously stop asking Uhura out. Everyone can see that she is into Spock. Everyone but Spock.”, he nodded towards where Uhura and Spock started walking towards the classroom.

It made Jim thinking.

***

During lunchtime Jim used the opportunity to sit down next to Uhura before the others arrived with their lunch. “So you and Spock, huh?”

It was kind of comical how fast she whipped her Head around. And Jim was sure he would have seen her blush, if she wouldn’t have a darker skin color.

“There is nothing between Spock and I”, she said in a hushed tone.

“But you would like that, wouldn’t you?” she didn’t answer that.

“I’m just as smart as Spock”, Jim tried to reason with her. It only made her snort. This was the first time Jim actually tried to woo Uhura, so far he only made inappropriate jokes and silly flirtation. Of course also smiles and winks but those were given out to everyone who ever spoke to Jim.

“You could never beat Spock”, was all she said to this topic. But it made Jim’s blue eyes sparkle maliciously.

“Wanna bet?”

***

“Hey Spock”, Jim started to the end of Lunch, “You don’t perhaps play chess, do you?”, he asked as casual as possible.

It still let Bones look up in alert. He was Jim’s best friend, so of course he could sense Jim’s Bullshit™ from a mile away.

But Spock just looked up barely interested with a simple “Yes”, as an answer.

“Great! Would you like have a little match with me?”

Spock seems to think about it for a few seconds. When he couldn’t find a reason to say no he again answered with a Yes.

***

“What the hell?”, Bones demanded when they sat in the next class for Biology. Jim just shrugged, “It’s part of a bigger plan”

“And that is?”, he huffed but Jim just gave him a blinding smile.

“Wait and see”

Uhura on the other side of the room gave them a weird glance, until he gave her a wink in return. Which led to her ignoring them as usual for the rest of class.

***

During the day a lot of people heard about the match, so after school there was a little crowd of classmates around the chess table on the playground of the school.

Jim doubted any of them actually knew the rules or wanted to see Spock win. They just wanted to see how Jim would lose. He had the ability to annoy everyone. Just Bones was on Jim’s side, he was sure. Well, at least 92.4% sure.

The chess table were barely ever used but Spock still managed to get a set from the teachers. They trusted Spock with everything. If Jim had asked they wouldn’t have given them out.

***

So they started. Spock let Jim have white. Spock concentrated on the figures, while Jim like his usual self, smiled brightly and looked only on the table when he would move a figure, other wisely he observed Spock or winked at Uhura. It looked like he didn’t play seriously. It never looked like he ever did anything seriously. That’s why everyone was so annoyed by him.

Jim was pleased to see how confused his opponent would get, while Jim changed his tactic constantly. For Spock it must have looked like Jim didn’t knew what he was doing.

And to see Spock freeze in his action when he realized he was left with only two moves and both would make him lose. Jim was beyond joy. Not that he showed. Unless a very brilliant smug smile.

“Any particular place you wanna go for our date?”, Jim asked towards the end of the game, looking Uhura straight in the eye.

Spock looked up from the table, he seemed just barely surprised.

“Therefore you have to win first”, she countered.

“I’m about to, can’t you see?”, he said unnerved. He gave a gesture towards the game, “Right, Spock?”

But Spock was only looking at Uhura.

“We have a bet! If I could beat you at a game of chess, Uhura is willing to go on a date with me!”, Jim explained joyful towards Spock. Jim knew Bones rolled his eyes right behind him.

Spock and Uhura stared at each other a little longer until Uhura looked away uncomfortable. His glare lingered on Uhura a few moments longer before his focus returned to the game.

But it was no use. Spock was two moves away from losing without a way out.

And really not two Minutes later Spock’s Queen has fallen into the hands of the enemy.

***

Jim was just grabbing his lecture book for the next class, when he was approached by Spock.

“James Kirk”, Spock spoke, just barely louder than normal.

“Say Jim”, he insisted before he let the other teen continue.

“Negative. Using that nickname would consider some sort of friendly relationship between us.”

 _Geez_ , Jim thought.

“Okay,” Jim replied unsure where this conversation was heading. “So what else? Enemies to death?”, he joked.

It looked like Spock was considering this option while calculating others as well.

“Unclear”, was all he answered.

Since Jim still didn’t get the meaning of this conversation he just looked at Spock expectantly.

“I am asking for a rematch”, the kind-of computer admitted.

“Okay”, Jim agreed with a shrug.

“In case of my victory you will release Miss Uhura of the so-called ‘Date’ you tricked her into”, Spock continued.

Jim frowned, “And if I win? Again?”

“Explain”, Spock said, as if it was impossible to lose again.

“A Bet. You want me to cancel the date. But a bet only works when both have something to lose. Something equally in value.”

Spock barely narrowed his eyes locked on Jim, “A trade then?”

There was a frosty silence between them for several seconds.

Then Jim cleared his throat, “Just to be clear: I would not. Ever. Trade Uhura. Or any other human being. Just the possibility of a date.”

“Indeed”

“So a rematch in Uhura’s Honor. What do you have in mind?”, Jim asked interested.

***

Uhura was anxiously pacing up and down the last Block before the restaurant came in view. Jim had won that stupid bet, now she had to pay her dept.

If he had lost, he would have never tried to flirt with her again. It would have been so great.

Now she was wasting time so she would appear at the restaurant just in time. She would never give him the satisfaction to arrive _early_.

At least she had to get over with it.

So she entered the actually quiet classy restaurant she had to admit – asking for a reservation under the name Kirk.

She was led to a table in the back of the restaurant, only to falter in her strides.

Spock was there.

He sat at the table the waitress just guided her to.

“What are you doing here?”, she asked the moment the waitress was gone.

“I challenged Jim for another game of chess. With some sort of bet.”

Uhura blinked, “Why?”

“It was illogical to let you suffer from a date with Jim when it was me who lost the game of chess in the first place”, he said.

“So you bet on the second game of chess to get the date with me”, she concluded. She was sure she was blushing right now.

But Spock hesitated. “Negative. I bet to release you from the depts, but I didn’t claim the date for my own.”

“Oh”, Uhura breathed low. It was a bit disappointing, “Then why are we here?”

“I did not win the second game of chess either”, Spock admitted.

Uhura blinked, _“Then what are you doing here?”,_ she asked again.

“Jim expected me to prepare for some themes of his choice, which I have to debate with whoever would join me on this meeting.”, he said, laying one of his hands atop a folder next to his place mat. “It seems like he wanted the two of us talking.”

Before Uhura could ask about the topics the waitress was back.

“Do you know what to drink yet?”, she asked, pen ready to note.

“I’m not sure if…”, Uhura started.

“It’s on Jim”, the waitress interjected.

“What?”

“This date is on Jim, the food, the drinks – he pays!”, she exclaimed. Has ever a waitress been so excited about a set up date?

“Of course just non-alcoholic, because you are minors, but everything else”, she added.

Uhura sighted internally, now she hadn’t a reason not to stay.

It’s not like she didn’t want a date with Spock. She really did. But not under these circumstances. She wanted Spock asking for a date, courting her.

“Let’s get this over with”, she

***

“So how was the date?”, Bones asked first thing on Monday morning as soon as he joins Jim by the lockers. Jim just looked up, grinning like an idiot.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t there”

“You stood her up?”, Bones blinked slowly. Jim knew he was about to get angry, his southern manners revolting in him.

“You go this far to trick a date out of her and then leave her all alone?”, he started to speak heatedly. It was adorable, getting all defensive for someone else. That was one of many reason Jim wanted him as a friend.

“Don’t you worry, I left her in good company!”, Jim looked down the hall just in time to see a certain couple with joint hands round a corner. It should have been impossible to grin even wider but he managed.

When Bones looked in the same direction his confusion grew even more.

Uhura only loosened her grasp at Spock to come over to Jim and lean in close, hand raised to whisper in his ear.

Jim expected a thank-you or a brief kiss to the cheek. But what he got in return was far better.

_Nyota._

Now his face definitely hurt from grinning that wide.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Bets to come.

“So there is this new movie, releasing tomorrow. But guess what!”, Jim spoke heatedly to Bones, who was more than reluctant to listen.

“What?”, he didn’t want to guess. Jim knew that. Sometime he wondered why they were friends.

“I’ve got seats for the preview this evening!”, Jim said jovial, like it was the best thing happening in weeks.

Bones groaned inwardly and outwardly.

“It’s Wednesday! How often do I have to tell you!?”, Bones couldn’t believe how Jim could recite every chemical element of the periodic table with all their chemical characteristics by number or alphabetically, but would not remember that Bones would not have time on Wednesdays.

Jim’s smile faltered at his friend’s outburst. Then glancing away. Not long until he shuffled to his morning classes.

Bones groaned. Lately it was always like this between them. He didn’t want to snap at his best friend, but if he kept up forgetting about the Wednesdays he didn’t know what to do.

“You could invite him”, a voice said next to him. He turned to see Uhura.

He blinked, “What?”

“Invite him to the family evening”, she said again.

“Can you read my mind?”, he asked confused.

“No, you were talking out loud.”

“Oh”

Bones stared at her for a moment. Jim got her first name two months ago, but didn’t told him. Normally he told him everything. But not this time.

“I think he is a bit lonely. I always thought that the McCoys consider him as part of the family.”, she continued.

“We are doing a lot of things together, but he has his own family.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course! He has his mother and a brother, even an Uncle, somewhere…”, he muttered the last part.

She raised a brow. “And where are they?”

Bones blinked for a moment. Jim wasn’t close to his uncle. His mother was always working. And Sam…

Sam started college last fall… far away.

“Shit”, he said to himself.

She gave him a knowing look.

He eyed her skeptical. “How is that your business anyway? A few months ago you couldn’t stand him at all!”

“He has never been into me”, she told him.

He blinked. “How is that related to what I just said?”

“Whenever he came around he knew I would shoot him down, so he could go to you.”

“Hey, he could always come to me, even without any schemes!”

“But do you ever go to him?”

She made a sharp turn, flicking her ponytail in his face before leaving to her own class.

Leonard didn’t see Jim again until lunch. Bones merely poked at his meal. He had been thinking the whole time.

“Hey Jim, about these tickets…”, he started, before he got interrupted.

“Don’t you worry, I gave them to Hikaru and Ben, they will have a marvelous time”, Jim countered without looking up.

“That’s good…”, Bones replied but didn’t really know how to continue. Then he felt someone kicking him under the table. Uhura gave him a look.

“I need your help!”, he declared.

That made Jim look up confused, “Huh?”

“Those Wednesdays make me go insane, holed up with my parents.”

“Aw, Bones, they are like the best couple, plus you just made me give away the tickets!”

“And you can’t have ‘em back!”, Hikaru chimed in, munching on his lunch.

Bones rolled his eyes, “No, not to escape!”, he grumbled. As if anyone could escape Eleanor and David McCoy!

“It’s more like back up that I need…”, he said and then watched as Jim’s face started to lit up.

“Are you inviting me to the McCoy Family-Game-Night?”, Jim asked, practically beaming.

Once again Bones was the receiver of Jim’s brightest smile. It felt like a century since he got one. Then he had to remember that he still had to answer.

“Does 5 pm work for you?”

“Everything for my bestie!”, Jim said, while trying to pinch Bones into his cheek. As he batted his hand away, he could have sworn he heard Jim giggle.

***

Later that evening, after Bones got an aneurism during Ludo, Jim and Bones lost in Charade, most of the pretzels were won by Mother McCoy in poker and Jim was never allowed to play chess with them again, they sat in Bones room with a hot chocolate.

“I think I never had such an amazing Wednesday evening.”, Jim said, still smiling.

“Good, because now you have to come by every Wednesday to play”, he said unfazed.

Jim’s eye got big while looking at his best friend.

“I told you I need an ally! And my parents enjoy charade way too much. It can only be played two against two. Now you are just as stuck as I am.”

Jim tried really hard not to show how much he would like that. “We’ll manage.”

“Wanna bet on that?”, Bones asked dryly only to see Jim’s face lit up again.


End file.
